This invention relates to a prosthetic device known as a "bone cap" and more specifically to a bone cap for children that is formed of a biocompatible material that is interspersed throughout by a network of interconnected pores.
Bone caps are prosthetic devices that are used to cover the exposed end of an excised bone. These devices have been used primarily in children under the age of sixteen in attempts to arrest a phenomenon known as "overgrowth." Overgrowth is a term used to describe a condition in children under the age of about sixteen where the exposed end of a bone that has been partially amputated continues to grow distally and form a pointed end.
Traditionally bone caps have been formed of a solid biocompatible material fixed in place by impacting a stem portion in the medullary canal or by applying sutures to holes formed in the device and in the adjacent portion of the bone. Although the bone cap may be tight initially, resorption usually occurs resulting in loosening of the device which then requires the cap to be fixed in place again.